Dog must die as ‘Free Eddie’ campaign fails

A dog called Eddie which attacked a woman and a police officer has been handed a death sentence despite protests that it’s a family pet.

The large South African Boerboel was taken away to an animal welfare centre after a series of incidents in Bellshill. ‘Free Eddie’ slogans have since been painted on workers’ containers near its owner’s home.

Margaret Meekison (42), of Thorndean Crescent, admitted having a dog which was dangerously out of control in Thorndean Crescent last May. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard Eddie jumped repeatedly on a woman and bit her. It also bit PC Andrew Swanson’s clothing and at one point had his arm in its mouth.

Meekison’s husband, David (43), had his not guilty plea to both charges accepted. Sheriff Douglas Brown banned Margaret Meekison from keeping a dog for five years and ordered that Eddie should be destroyed.

Husband and wife are due in court for sentence on April 22 after they were convicted in a separate case of allowing Eddie to be out of control on October 5. On that occasion a woman was bitten in the Meekisons’ garden area.

The couple were cleared over another incident when a boy of 12 was allegedly bitten.